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��ɫ��Ƶ’s annual Kenneth A. Suarez (KAS) Research Day transformed Cardinal Hall into a vibrant hub of discovery, where students across disciplines on the Downers Grove Campus presented research developed in collaboration with their faculty mentors.

This year’s event featured 210 student research posters, representing all colleges on campus and highlighting the depth and wide range of scholarly work underway across the University.

Named in honor of the late Kenneth A. Suarez, Ph.D., who served ��ɫ��Ƶ for more than 25 years as Professor of Pharmacology and Associate Vice President for the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, the event continues his vision of fostering curiosity, collaboration, and a lifelong commitment to inquiry. The Glendale Campus held its KAS Research Day in early April.

Day Dedicated to Scientific Growth

Opening the day, Joshua Baker, O.D., M.S., President and CEO of ��ɫ��Ƶ, welcomed attendees and highlighted the central role of research in student learning.

“When our students step behind a poster today, they aren’t just presenting data—they’re demonstrating the critical thinking and evidence-based mindset that will one day save lives,” he said.

Dr. Baker also underscored the broader mission behind the event for students. “Research at ��ɫ��Ƶ is not an extracurricular activity… it is the vital bridge that connects your academic foundation to your future as a practitioner,” he added.

Months of Hard Work Pay Off

For many students, KAS Research Day is the moment when months of work under the guidance of faculty mentors come into focus. Along the way, they gain confidence, ask better questions, and develop reasoning skills that they will carry into practice.

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) student Benjamin Schnieders (CCOM ’28) explored the relationship between high-intensity exercise, cognitive function, and cardiovascular hemodynamics. “This project really helped connect physiology to what we’ll actually see in patients, especially with cognitive function and aging populations,” Ben said. “Research is great to be involved with because it gives you practice for future patient encounters and learning how to talk through complex ideas,” he said.

For Clare Mielczarek (CCOM ’28), whose work focused on targeted lipid nanoparticle mRNA delivery for type 1 diabetes, the experience reinforced the importance of translational science. “It was important to me to gain these skills so that as a future physician, I can evaluate research properly and apply it to my patients,” she said.

Chicago College of Optometry (CCO) student John Ruskus (CCO ’28) studied how sequential transcranial stimulation of visual pathways may influence cortical excitability and rehabilitation potential after stroke. “Working on this research project solidified my understanding of neurological concepts, and I feel more confident explaining these systems now,” he said.

“Research is one of the best things I’ve done in my first years here. It changes how you think clinically,” John added.

College of Dental Medicine-Illinois (CDMI) student, Neda Maroof (CDMI ’28) focused her research on developing new materials that could help regenerate bone, an area with important implications for oral surgery and reconstructive procedures.

Her project explored a biocompatible, gel-like scaffold designed to support bone growth at the cellular level, with the goal of creating alternatives to traditional bone grafts used in large surgical defects. “It was a lot of work, but I learned so much in less than a year,” she said. “Being part of something that could eventually become a real clinical product is incredibly motivating.”

For some students, the experience also sparked a deeper interest in research itself. Speech-Language Pathology student Faith Herman (CHS-SLP ’26), who studied how motivation affects communication in individuals with aphasia, said the project reshaped how she thinks about both research and patient care. “If your client isn’t motivated to do something, what you’re working on in therapy is not going to make a difference,” she said. Faith added that the experience helped her discover a new interest in the field: “Through this project, I realized how much I enjoy the research side of the field. It even made me start thinking about continuing to do research in my future.”

A Full Day of Discovery

The event also featured 16 oral student presentations, including traditional and rapid-fire talks, as well as a keynote address by Krista Varady, Ph.D., Professor of Nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago, whose work on intermittent fasting and metabolic health has helped shape modern nutrition science.

Throughout the day, attendees moved between poster sessions spanning biomedical science, neuroscience, dental innovation, optometry, and the health sciences, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary dialogue and shared learning.
As one student researcher noted, “You don’t usually see this variety of information day-to-day in class or lab. It’s inspiring to see what everyone is working on.”

Honoring a Legacy of Research Excellence

Reflecting on the significance of the day, Jim Woods, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President of Research, ��ɫ��Ƶ, emphasized both student achievement and the role research plays in their development.

“Research Day is integral to the mission and vision of ��ɫ��Ƶ,” he said. “We are an institution focused on healthcare education, and our faculty are deeply engaged in research. That’s something we want to instill in our students as they graduate and go out to practice.”

He highlighted the scale of this year’s event and noted the growing student engagement across disciplines. “Our students do a wonderful job, and my hope is that every student engaged in research has a meaningful experience and takes that forward into their future practice.”

He also recognized the support of the University Research Committee, faculty mentors, staff, and University leadership in making the event possible.

Outstanding Poster Presentations

The following individuals and teams have been selected as award winners for their exceptional poster presentations. The primary author(s) and presenter are listed in bold.

College of Health Sciences (CHS)

Camille Hurta, Laina Runyon, Caleigh Huber, Jose Lara, Lisa Mahaffey, Ph.D. OTR/L FAOTA: Impact of Occupational Therapy on Quality of Life, Perceived Disability, Personal Causation, and Ability to Meet Task Expectations for Individuals With Significant Mental Health Conditions Living in the Community.

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM)

Naomi Rajesh, Ester Nikolla, Syed Ahmed, Sinju Sundaresan, Ph.D.: High-fat Feeding Leads to Decline in Regeneration of Intestinal Stem Cells in the Proximal and Small Intestine and is Associated with Decreased Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption.

Grace Dollia, Rachael Olson, Sara Moosa, M.A., Nandini Patel, Anmol Singh, Milena Douglas, M.A., Ellen Kohlmeir, Ph.D., Stacy Kujawa, Donna Korol, Ph.D., Alesia Prakapenka, Ph.D.: Interactive Effects of BNDF Val66Met Single Nucleotide Polymorphism and Estrogen Treatment on Uterine Morphology Across Age in a Rat Model.

Anya Athan, Lenore Pitstick, Jennifer Jones, Thomas Bodenstine, Ph.D.: Characterizing Roles for CD44 in Breast Cancer Cells Following Metabolic Adaptation.

Caroline Docherty, Elizabeth Chin, Andrew Hawkey, Ashley Ung, Desiree Kathryn Batangan, M.B.S, Matthew Pytynia, Shreyas Rajagopalan: Short-term Morphological and Behavioral Effects of Embryonic PFAS Exposure in Zebrafish.

Quinlan Degnan, Jonathan Lerner, Ph.D.: Heterochromatin Invaders – Deciphering the Interaction of bZIP Transcription Factors MAFG and MAFK with H3K9me3 Heterochromatin to Improve Cell Reprogramming.

Elizabeth Herr, Peter Lamar, Joshua Edwards, Ph.D.: L-Type Voltage Gated Calcium Channel Blocker Nifedipine Blocks MIN6 Cell Depolarization with or without Diphenhydramine; a Live-Cell Fura-2 Fluorescence Imaging Study.

Katherine Axness, Sarina Singh, Kurt Heinking, D.O., Kyle Henderson, Ph.D.: Educational Impact of a Student-Run Osteopathic Soft Tissue Clinic: A Quantitative Assessment of Academic Outcomes.

Jiya Thomas, Kennedy Van, M.A., Lauren Byars, Nozrul Miah, Michael Ghuneim, Samaya Danthurthy, Abigail Anderson, Paul Shin, Ari Chakraborty, Ph.D. MPhil FAAO, Adrienne Quan, O.D.: Sequence-dependent Effects of Noninvasive Brain Stimulation on Visual Cortical Function: A Potential Pathway for Stroke-related Vision Recovery.

Jill Patel, Sarah Abu Kamal, Sarah Farnand, Caroline Pinkerman, Abdelrahman Mansour, D.O.: A Diagnostic Dilemma: Felty or Faulty? A Case of Severe Neutropenia in Rheumatoid Arthritis Without Splenomegaly.

Adam Sada, Yazen Bakri, Umar Hashim, Ameer Jabali, Ahmed Al Ali: Diagnostic Accuracy of CT, MRI, and PET/CT for Detecting Recurrence in Treated Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Kathryn Lund, Elizabeth Herr: How Mentorship in Undergraduate Medical Education Influences Specialty Discernment and Residency Match Results: A Rapid Review.

Chicago College of Pharmacy (CPDG)

Kristina Georgis, Sarah Lovett, Jack Kennedy, Argyle Bumanglag, Marc Scheetz, Pharm.D. M.SC, Sara Burke, Ph.D., Gwendolyn Pais, Ph.D.: Electroencephalographic Analysis of Cefepime Induced Neurotoxicity in Rat Model.

Yara Albair, Pharm.D., Timothy Todd, Pharm.D., Ana Quiñones-Boex, Pharm.D., M.S., Jennifer Mazan, Pharm.D: Identifying Patient Characteristics and Service Utilization Patterns for Pharmacist-Provided Test-and-Treat Services (Residents/Fellows category).

Chicago College of Optometry (CCO)

Gavin Olson, Jenna Williams, O.D. FAAO, Vakishan Nadarajah, O.D. FAAO FSLS, Dana Rhea, O.D. FAAO, Victoria Marshall, Veronica Kozub, Maya Dabaja: A Comparison of Soft Multifocal Contact Lenses Used for Myopia Management and Their Effect on Ocular Surface Health.

John Ruskus, Judah Barakat, Melody Yang, Madelyn Golden, Leila Audi, Lauren Byars, Jiya Thomas, Ari Chakraborty, Ph.D. MPhil FAAO, Adrienne Quan, O.D.: Sequential Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of V1 and MT+ Modulates Cortical Excitability More Effectively than Concurrent Stimulation.

College of Dental Medicine-Illinois (CDMI)

Fatemeh Razfar, Zinat Sharmin, M.Sc., Ph.D., Stephen Suchy, Nastaran Foughani, D.D.S., Marcela Rocha de Oliveira Carrilho, D.D.S. Ph.D.: Antimicrobial Properties of Dentin ECM-Derived Hydrogels against Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Neda Maroof: Osteogenic Potential of Dentin-ECM-Based Scaffolds.

Mital Patel, Marcela Rocha de Oliveira Carrilho, D.D.S., Ph.D.: Lithothamnion Calcareum Reduces/Prevents Demineralization of Enamel Bonded with Orthodontic Brackets.

Elizabeth Manning, M.A., Linda Sangalli D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., Sahar Mirfarsi, D.D.S., FICD, Craig Miller D.M.D., M.S., James Hawkins D.D.S., M.S., MEd-HPE, Celia Mimms D.D.S.: Virtual Patient Based Learning Platform to Enhance TMD Curriculum and Confidence.

Ryan Incrocci, M.S., Zinat Sharmin, M.Sc., Ph.D., Stephen Suchy, Marcela Rocha de Oliveira Carrilho, D.D.S., Ph.D.: Immunological Responses of Hydrogel Derived from Dentin-Extracellular Matrix.

College of Graduate Studies (CGS)

Margaret Forth, Claire Wild, Meejeon Roh, Ph.D., Orlando deLeon, Ph.D., Kristina Martinez-Guryn , Ph.D., RD, Benjamin D. Shogan M.D.: Employing Dietary Prehabilitation to Promote Anastomotic Healing Following Colorectal Cancer Surgery: A Pilot Study.

Aarya Bavare, Sarah Kralicek, Ph.D., Matthew Pytynia, Julia Moore, Mae Ciancio, Ph.D., Kristina Martinez-Guryn, Ph.D., RD: The Effect of Intestinal Heat Shock Protein 70 on Fat Transport.

Patti Salmon, Maneesha Pondara, Dana Sheldon, Sophia Parpala, M.B.S., Mallica Cary, Ramirez, Edith M.A.B.S., Zoe Herdman, Stacy Kujawa, Andrew Hawkey, Ph.D., Alesia Prakapenka, Ph.D.: Age of First Birth and Alzheimer’s Disease on Maternal Care Behaviors in a Mouse Model.

Graduate Medical Education (GME)

1st Place: Mohammed Khan M.D., Mingjia Li, Muzamil Arby, D.O., Safiya Farooqi, D.O., Jill Patel, Shanaz Azad, M.D.: MRSA Endocarditis Involving Lambl’s Excrescences Presenting as Multiple Cavitary Pulmonary Lesions.

2nd Place: Youjin Oh, Lee Sunwoo, Hafeez Shaka, M.D., Michael Russell Mullane, M.D.: Trends in Inpatient Hospitalizations, Lung Resection Utilization, and In-hospital Mortality Among Lung Cancer Patients in the United States: A Nationwide Inpatient Sample Study (2010–2023).

3rd Place: Jonathan Vander Molen, D.O., Morgan Boren, D.O., Adam Goldman, D.O., Salman Chaudri, D.O.: Anterolateral Ligament Reconstruction in Multiligamentous Knee Injuries, Operative Technique and 2-year Outcomes: A Case Series.

4th Place (2025 Entry): Youjin Oh, Jacob Rothermunc, M.D., Jeries Alsahoury, M.D., Meredith Coyle, M.D.: Epidemiology and Outcomes of Cryptococcal Meningitis in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis: A National Inpatient Study.